Baseball Junk

Baseball has some strange names and a weird culture.

a. Why a "walkoff" home run, or "walkoff single"? How about something more normal and obvious, like Game Winning?

b. Sacrifice fly. What, they killed a goat in the field? Where's the barbeque?

c. They touch themselves entirely too much in areas I don't want to see them touching. People made a big deal out of Michael Jackson grabbing his crotch during songs. Watch a ball game and this is a common occurrence. Just keep your hands where they belong, which is to say, not in your pants during a game. And why do the tv cameras always have to show this? That's a bit weird too.

d. Spitting. Stop showing the dugout, please. Especially the managers. I don't want to ever have the job of cleaning a dugout and will never walk in front of one. Gross.

e. Do you really need to chew THAT much gum? Good, tobacco use seems to pretty much be done, but c'mon, can't you just have one piece of gum in there instead of the pack! Save some for others you hogs.

f. Seeds. Okay, you aren't a tobacco or gum chewer so you eat some kind of seed that involves spitting out the shell. Are you a pidgeon? Enough with the spitting already, again always on tv. If you are hungry go get a hot dog.

g. A-Rod is going to hit his 600th homerun soon. The media says no one cares because he admits to using drugs for a few years. I don't believe this argument. Everyone loved the battles between Bonds, Sosa and McGwire. Maybe A-Rod isn't getting the attention because he only has about 20 homers this year? I bet if he were up in the 40-60 range, or had a legit shot at that, the interest would really be there.

h. I hate this play; A possible base stealer is on first base and the pitcher lobs the ball to first so the runner doesn't take such a big lead. If you are going to throw to first, throw darnit, don't lob it like a tennis ball. The game could be sped up by giving a penalty to the pitcher for making a such a ridiculous toss.

i. How come the tv cameras don't scan the crowds and show all the beautiful women watching the game? Every other sport does this. Are there no women there? If not, maybe it's because they don't want to see the spitting or crotch grabbing?

j. Cheerleaders, where are they? Football and basketball, our two biggest sports, have cheerleaders. Why not baseball? That would give the cameras something to focus on when the pitcher takes too long to throw or there is a big meeting at the mound.

k. Which brings up my last point. Do you really need to hide your mouth behind your glove? Who in God's name is reading your lips? Just stop the insanity.

Shoreline Triathlon

"The sea was angry that day, my friends, like an old man trying to send back soup in a deli."

"So I started to walk into the water. I won't lie to you boys, I was terrified. But I pressed on, and as I made my way past the breakers a strange calm came over me. I don't know if it was divine intervention or the kinship of all living things, but I tell you, at that moment I was a marine biologist."
Actually the starting horn sounded and I began swimming through the waves. About 30 yards later I stood up, having swallowed a gallon or so of fresh, clean Lake Ontario water, choking, wondering if I could continue. It was definitely a struggle for me to make it to the second buoy where we turned and no longer had to fight the current. My swim time was 4 minutes faster than two years ago! Still middle of the pack, but hey, you are really only competing against yourself.
I also saved another two minutes in transition. But I gave over three minutes back on the bike. Struggled against the wind on Church street, though it seemed other athletes didn't have the same problem.
My run was 30 seconds better than 2008. Overall about a 2 minute improvement in race times.
I don't think I'll grow up to be a really good triathlete, even in my age group, but it was mostly fun (except the lake swallowing). The shorter distances seem better for me also, in the 1:30-2:00 hour range.
Thanks to all my family and friends who showed up, cheered and volunteered.
Now it's all about Jan and marathon training.

Race Results Archive

As mentioned on the Rochester Running Page, Don Mitchell has posted results from Buffalo and Rochester area races he timed dating back to 1984.
Runtime Services Race Archives.

It was interesting to take a look back at my own results. I ran the 1984 Lilac 10k in 37:15, 8 seconds off my all-time best 10k and remember being disappointed. I ran the first 5k in 17:50 and faded. Man I wish I faded like that now. I was 26 years old and remember having to run up to Wegman's before the race, about a mile from the start, to buy diapers for my 3 month old daughter Stacy, because Jan and I forgot to bring enough. I finished 133/2279 overall (top 7%) and 33/358 in my age group. Jan didn't race, probably some excuse like 3 children under the age of 6 to watch?

The 1985 Lilac I finished in 37:27, again in the top 10%, again disappointed I couldn't break 36 (actually my goal was sub-36). What an idiot.

Though I didn't know it at the time, that was pretty much the end of my "fast" running days. I didn't race again at Lilac until 1994, finishing in 40:31, but still 164/1253 overall. Flash ahead to 2003, now in the 45-49 age group, and I ran a 44:22. What an amazing decline in speed! But, I finished 170/1220 overall, so I guess the entire running population got slower? Jan ran her first Lilac, in 46:07, too close for my comfort.

This year, 2010, we ran Lilac again. I ran a 47:14, melting in the humidity, but was 218/1258. Jan, coming back from injury, ran a 55:54, but was 635/1258. I was 10 minutes slower than in 1984, but finished in the top 20%. Ridiculous.

So, why have race finishing times slowed so much? More people ran Lilac in the mid-80's and posted faster finishing times. Why have I slowed by so much? It doesn't seem like age should be the only reason. That's too big of a decline. Maybe I just don't have the reckless, go all out attitude in training and racing to produce times even semi-close?

If you have the answers, let me know. I'll be out on the roads, still running, though slower I guess.

Utica Boilermaker 15k

Congratulations to Roger O'Dell for his 1:13:39 and third place age group finish at the Boilermaker race Sunday! Also, Pete L. was close behind, in fourth place, with a 1:16:39! Nice to have two of the fastest age group runners honor us with their presence on the canal paths most Saturdays! A national class race and they take 3rd and 4th, that is awesome.

Also Jennifer K. kept her father's ego intact by letting him squeeze by with a 9 second victory. That's a nice daughter. Jennifer finished in 1:18:41 to Lou's 1:18:32.

Marathon Swim

Scanning the television channels while home on vacation Tuesday, I came across the Running and Racing show from NYC. They covered the Manhattan island Marathon Swim, 28.5 miles around the island of Manhattan. Yes, 28.5 miles of swimming!

Swimmers begin at Battery Park and the Hudson River, swim the East River to the Harlem River, back to the Hudson. The average water temperature is 68, not too bad, wet suits are not allowed. From the course website, here are some "warnings"..."There can be a substantial amount of chop in the water from wind, tide action, and boat traffic. The waterways are salt water and there is shipping traffic. There may be random jetsam and flotsam in the waterways."

The first swimmer (a female) finished in 7:53:54, five seconds ahead of second place. I cannot imagine spending almost 8 hours in the waters around Manhattan. I couldn't sit in a tub for 8 hours. Twenty-four people completed the solo race, taking up to 9 hours.
Swimmers do get the current up the East River and down the Hudson, but still, this is amazing. They also have a kayak for each swimmer, but if you touch the boat you are disqualified. Other warnings include looking out for seaplanes landing, normal boat traffic and dealing with the tides.

I can see Lou trying this on one of his future NYC visits. After all, it beats waiting for a taxi or finding a parking spot!